


All that I Wanted to Say

by guonlon



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M, Mentioned - Kim Jonghyun, Ongniel, Penpal!AU, Timelines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-08-26 01:23:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16672105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guonlon/pseuds/guonlon
Summary: Kang Daniel’s list of Things To Do:- Find a job- Stop messing up in the morning- Find his old penpal, Ong Seongwu





	All that I Wanted to Say

**5** **May,**   **2012**  
**Toronto** **International** **High** **School**

“Settle down, kids. We have much to be shared in class today, and the first thing on the agenda will be about your final submission, which will take up _eighty_ percent of your grade.”

Loud groans filled the room, much like every other class on a mundane Monday at 8 AM. The teacher looked at the students in disapproval, scrunching her thin, lipstick covered mouth into a frown with a _tut_ _tut_ _tut_.

“Well come on class, it won’t be as _boring_ like any other usual final submission you’ve ever had, in fact I think that you guys are really going to enjoy this one.” The image on the projector changed and everyone looked on almost disbelievingly. The crest of Jonjal High was displayed proudly, below the words ‘Penpal Programme’. Each word he ether tried to get it of her mouth was drowned by the exciting conversation the students exchanged with each other.

 _Are_ _you_ _serious? So we get to talk to all these rich, handsome chaebols?_

 

_Oh my god, I hope I get assigned to a chaebol who looks as handsome as NU’EST Jonghyun._

Seeing the reaction of the students, the teacher smirked. “Well, before you guys get lost too far in your imagination, quiet down and let me give you a brief on what’s going to happen. You will pick a random name out of this box I have in front of me, that’s going to be your partner whom you are going to write to for 6 months. Your letters to your penpal can be about anything as long as it is not inappropriate. Afterwards, I expect you to submit a report of the experience you’ve had and at least 5 things about the native Korean language that you’ve learnt while talking to your penpal. Do note that a few of the letters you’ve sent and received are required to be attached in your final report...”

“Now, I see that some of you are already not listening so let’s get to the assigning of penpals. First, can Jaehwan step up to pick your penpal? And then can I have…”

At the back of the classroom, one boy with childlike eyes, wide shoulders and bunny teeth was listening to his teacher with intent. He wants to see how this penpal thing with a person he doesn’t know (yet) would be, and _oh, how will this person be like? Rich, for sure, but what about his personality? Wait, would it be a girl or a boy? Wouldn’t this person be of the age age as him? What if this person doesn’t like him? Or bullies him? He’s been bullied before, after all. Wait, can a person get bullied through letters? But..._

“Da- Dani- DANIEL.”

The boy woke up from his daydream with a start and, with all eyes on him, stood up and went up to the awaiting teacher, a bashful smile on his face and an awkward arm placed awkwardly on his neck. Caught daydreaming and mumbling to himself again as always. He shifted his gaze to the box and places his right hand in, feeling the small slips of paper rustle between his fingers before he closed his hand around one. Pulling up and straightening out the piece of paper, he read the name on it. _Ong Seongwu._

‘Ong? What an interesting name,’ he thought.

He went back to his desk and began to write on a fresh piece of paper. _Hi, I’m Daniel. My Korean name’s Euigeon. Kang Euigeon. I know the name is hard to pronounce, my father gave me this name and even he can’t pronounce it._

 

 **7** **June,**   **2021**  
 **Pearson** **International** **Airport,**   **Toronto**

Daniel steps into the plane and takes deep breaths. This is it. He’s going back to live permanently in Korea. He’s going to find a permanent job there. And-

And-

He’s going to find Ong Seongwu. To ask why he never got a reply all those years ago.

He steps onto the plane with determination in his eyes, and everyone’s just left thinking why the handsome Korean man is laughing silently but manically to himself in a plane.

 

 **15** **June,**   **2021**

 **Somewhere** **in** **Daniel** **Land,**   **Seoul…**

Daniel wakes up to the sound of his alarm, rolling and fumbling around to find his phone. In the process, he finds his Gameboy, Spiderman night light and, oh- his youngest cat, Ori. Then below his snoring cat he finds his phone, wondering how Ori can stay fully asleep with his phone vibrating under her. He stays in his bed for a while more to figure out why his alarm is set, and to figure out what he has to do. The tune plays, ( _Again_?) and Daniel belatedly realises that he pressed the snooze button instead. Oops. He smiles sheepishly, and then stops because there’s no one in the room to witness Daniel’s morning mess-ups, Season 101.

Daniel sighs, he should probably start getting ready.

It feels like a year before his mum gets out of his walk-in closet with the dark grey jacket and pants combo that she’d been meaning to pick from the start. She hands him the outfit she’s picked along with a warm, proud smile and the other hand ruffling his head. “Do well this time, Niel-ah. Eomma knows you can do it.” It’s a bit embarrassing to let his mum baby him, but he lets her do it anyway because she loves him, and he loves her too much to stop her. Good thing he sets his alarm to ring earlier because he predicts getting held back by his mum anyway. After his mom leaves to prepare breakfast in the kitchen, he uses a slight amount of gel to bring his hair off his forehead and some makeup to mask his tired-looking face. And it’s another good thing he remembers the makeup skills that he learned from doing all those dance performances in his adolescence.

 

**15 June, 2021**

**Daniel’s potential workplace, somewhere else in Seoul**

Things get even better when he walks into the company and the interview panel asks him why he didn’t just apply for a model position instead.

“In any case, you’ve appealed to us. Congratulations, Manager Kang Daniel, welcome to the media team.”

And as Daniel walks out of the company with a signed work contract and a memo to start work on Monday, he thinks: ‘Maybe today is just one of the good days,’ _Maybe even one of the best._

Everything has gone well for Daniel today and he’s still amazed by it. Even as he makes his way to Gapyeong to meet Jisung-hyung for dinner, there’s lesser human traffic and he even gets to sit down in the subway for the first time since he’s moved back to Korea. He feels like the unknown power out there in the universe just took a liking to him today, and he volunteers helps the old lady sitting next to him in the somewhat empty cabin carry those heavy shopping bags up the stairs. The multiple ‘thank you’s the old lady gives him in turn makes him feel even better.

“Euigeon!”

At the familiar voice, Daniel stretches his neck to see Jisung beckoning him over. The waitress who’d tended to Daniel when he’d stepped into the café bowed in greeting, her hand gesturing him towards the table that Jisung had booked beforehand. He comes into Jisung’s waiting arms and hugs the other man tightly, both not having seen the other in person for years. They separate and Daniel finds Jisung looking at him with a proud smile. “Wah, our Euigeon’s really grown a lot. I knew you would grow up well.”

“Call me Daniel, hyung. It’s easier.”

Jisung’s his childhood friend from when Daniel’s family was living in Busan. Back then, the two families lived next to each other. Jisung found Daniel adorable and saw fit to protect him from the bitterness of the world. The two would always run around the neighbourhood and because they were so lovable, would get offered sweets from the retired old folk who’d sit at the village square to talk. Daniel and Jisung spent their childhood days lying on the grandmothers’ laps, listening to folk tales. When Daniel’s family left for Canada after the divorce of his parents, his and Jisung’s mums kept in touch, and Jisung now lives alone in an apartment in Seoul while his parents live in the old Busan house, his sister Seulgi staying in another apartment close by Jisung’s.

As they engage in pleasant, welcome-back conversation, Jisung decides that they should delve into deeper matters. He calls the waitress over and orders them beers. Daniel knows what he wants to say and has a few gulps of beer, letting the carbon slide down his throat and distract him from the upcoming words he might not want to hear from Jisung.

“So, I found some information on him.”

Wait, what?

Daniel stops himself from choking on his beer and puts the glass down, but his shock overcomes the slightly inappropriate words from coming out. Did Jisung-hyung really have to say this while Daniel was still drinking? He could have choked!

“H-how?” asked Daniel.

“He’s a chaebol, Daniel. Do you think it would be that hard for me to get information on a guy who has been kept under the public’s eye from since he was born? Apparently he’s preparing to take over his Mum’s company soon. His cousin has already succeeded his Dad’s law firm. But he not currently in Korea at the moment.”

Daniel just freezes. Okay, so he expected to hear that Seongwu had been doing well, but to hear it from Jisung just struck him hard. _So_ _Seongwu_ - _hyung_ _has_ _been_ _fine_ _and_ _doing_ _well_ _all_ _this_ _time_.

But Daniel still doesn’t know what he wants to do with the information he got from Jisung. What can he do? It’s not like he knows where exactly he is.

“Let’s talk about something else. I heard you had a job interview today. Where at? How did it go?” Jisung enquires.

“It was good, actually! I’m starting on Monday. It’s a managing position on the Social Media team at Fantasy Co. You know, the-”

Jisung drops his fork and it clatters loudly on the floor. A few people look over, and one of staff nearby asks if he’s okay.

When the waitress brings him a new fork and nobody’s looking over anymore, Jisung turns to face Daniel who has his head tilted in confusion.

“Daniel, that’s- that’s Seongwu’s company. The same Seongwu you’ve been searching for. How did you not know that? Wasn’t he present at your interview today?”

Oh. So he just became one of Seongwu hyung’s workers? Daniel shakes his head.

Daniel surprisingly takes this news well, and asks quietly “But what if he doesn’t remember me?”

And no matter how much Jisung tries to convince him that _yes, I think he’ll remember the boy who he sent letters to for years_ , Daniel doesn’t buy it, and opts for pretending he doesn’t know who Ong Seongwu is when he first meets Ong Seongwu.

 

 **30 June,**   **2021**  
 **A** **random** **day** **in** **Daniel’s** **house**

 

Back at his apartment, Daniel collapses into his plush bed, the soft comforter offering to take away his problems.

He reaches into a box tucked carefully between the frame and the bedside table, taking out the letter at the top from a pile of others; the most recent.

Daniel! I’m sorry I’ve been so distant, there’s just so much going on right now. But i swear, I think about you everyday! This hyung hasn’t forgotten you, heh. Anyway, you said you wanted to tell me something. I’m all ears (or eyes)! Reply fast! I can’t stand the suspense.

Hyung

Unwillingly, his mind decides to take him back in time.

 

 **14**   **February,**   **2015**  
 **Toronto,**   **Daniel’s** **house**

 

Daniel’s read the letter. Okay, he can do this. He doesn’t want to keep Seongwu-hyung, doesn’t want to delay himself any longer. He takes a long, deep breath, takes a large gulp of water and brings himself to write back, for the first time with trembling hands.

Hey hyung,

I’ll tell you, but just promise me that you’ll reply, alright?

So, here goes. For... a while now, I...

I like hyung.

I know this is sudden, but I can’t help it and no matter how much i tried to suppress these feelings, I just... couldn’t. If... uh... if you feel the same, or even if you don’t, just let me know.

Daniel, 14 Feburary

 

 **14** **March,**   **2015**  
 **Toronto,**   **Daniel’s** **house**

Um, hyung?

I’m sorry. We can pretend that it never happened.

Just please, don’t stop talking to me. Please.

Daniel, 14 March


End file.
